Open
by The Queen of Sin
Summary: Alex is angry, Liv is confused and Elis is a sleezeball. Rating is for swear words.


**Title:** Open

**Pairing: **Alex/Olivia

**Rating: **T some swearing

**Disclaimer: **Not mine. *sadface*

**A/N: **So… I guess I've started writing again. Say goodbye to my degree. All mistakes are mine, no you can't have them.

Alex Cabot strutted into the squad room, face stern and waves of unapproachability falling off her. Upon meeting her target she asked,

"Detective Benson, a moment please?"

Olivia nodded blankly, wondering what she had done now and followed her to the upstairs crib. Alex held the door open for her and shut it behind her, the sound of the lock clicking echoing in the empty room.

Alex reached into her briefcase and handed the trifold blue paperwork over to Olivia.

"Please, just _tell_ me you didn't sleep with him"

Olivia's head snapped up from the paper.

"What? Alex? No! Alex we're together, why would I sleep with someone else?"

Alex did a half snort, "Well it's not like you've been the most committed of girlfriends"

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh come on Liv! You won't even tell your supposed family out there that we're together," She was counting them on her fingers, "we spend more nights in separate apartments than we do together, you make us sneak around like I'm your dirty little secret!"

"Alex it's not like that it's…"

"It's what Liv? Because that's what it feels like to me!"

They were silent for a moment, the original reason for the conversation forgotten.

"Just, please tell me nothing is going on with you two?"

Olivia's voice was soft, "No Alex, I went for coffee with him and we talked and that was it."

"Okay" Alex pinched the bridge of her nose- a sure sign she was stressed. She just breathed for a minute different scenarios running through her head.

Olivia just stood there, unsure what the best thing to do was. She looked at the paper again.

…_request that Detective Olivia Benson's testimony not be admissible due to conflict of interest…_

…_a relationship with the Defence Council Bayard Ellis…_

Her heart pounded in her chest. God she should've seen it. All defence lawyers are the same. _Sleezeball_.

"Okay, start from the beginning, what actually happened?"

Olivia sighed and sat down on the nearest cot.

"You know the case Cutter took from you a few months back? The one with the music student?"

Alex nodded and scowled slightly, she hated it when her superiors overtook her cases.

"Ellis was the defence attorney for the guy, and after he won, I was sat on the court house steps and he came over and we had a chat"

Alex narrowed her eyes at her, "A chat about what?"

Olivia huffed at her, "You asking me as a prosecutor or my girlfriend?"

"Does it make a difference? Would you lie to me if I was asking as one and not the other?"

She gave a frustrated sigh "First I told him to go away but he just kept talking about how the system is against blacks and Latinos, I told him he was just saying that to win but somehow he convinced me that he really believed the crap that he was spewing out."

She paused to gage her girlfriend's reaction, seeing a blank face she carried on, "I dunno how it happened but I guess he made me. He said something about going to see his daughter's softball game or something like that and offered his card, I told him I was doing fine and he didn't believe me. I don't know why, but I took his card."

Alex knew there was more to the story, no-one as good as Ellis would try this strategy if all Olivia did was take his card. She looked Olivia in the eye, and arched her eyebrow. "And?"

"And that was it. I didn't call him. But last week I ran into him in the courthouse and he convinced me to have a coffee with him at a coffee shop nearby. Can't remember what we talked about just general chit chat I think. I mean we were friendly but nothing else."

"That was it?"

"Yeah, I mean I had to go back to the squad, I got a call from the captain, he walked me out… he kissed me on the cheek and I left."

Alex didn't say anything straight away, "Honestly, Alex, sweetie, that's all it was." She took a step forward but Alex didn't seem to notice.

"Alex?"

Alex blinked and shook her head. "Sorry, I'm just trying to think how to fix this I mean he probably had someone take photos, and that's why he kissed you on the cheek. Otherwise he wouldn't waste the paper to file the motion." She pinched her nose again.

"Why don't we just tell them we're together?"

Alex looked at her like she had grown an extra head.

"You want to prove that we're together, to prove that you and Ellis aren't together… so you can testify…Olivia that will only make it certain that you _won't_ be able to testify. For a start, you'd still be biased and secondly just because you're sleeping with me doesn't mean that you aren't sleeping with him."

Olivia gave her a hurt look.

"No, Olivia, I believe you, if you say you didn't sleep with him then as far as I'm concerned you didn't. But the public won't believe you and more importantly the judge won't believe you."

Olivia started to pace, "God this is a fuck up."

Alex nodded, "Pretty much. I think the best plan of attack is for you to just tell the judge what you told me; you can't really do anything else, unless he's got phone records or pictures of you two doing anything other than what you say he has next to no chance."

"_Next_ to no chance?" Olivia seemed sceptical.

"Well if the judge is one I've pissed off or you've pissed off, or for some reason _really_ likes Ellis then they could rule in his favour. If that happens, I will create a shit storm and the judge will regret the decision for the rest of their life." Alex smiled at Olivia, walking over to give her a hug, "Don't worry sweetie, I won't let him win this, okay?"

Olivia relaxed into the embrace and nodded. Gripping tighter she just wished she refused the coffee from Ellis. She didn't know why she accepted in the first place; her profession caused her to have an instinctual dislike for any and all defence attorneys, but somehow he seemed genuine in his concern about her. Of course she was regretting that assessment right now.

Alex pulled back from the embrace; kissed her on the lips and gave a small smile.

"Okay, I've got to go sort this mess out, come to mine for dinner?"

Olivia kissed her again and nodded.

They broke apart and Alex made her way out of the crib.

Alex walked into the bar, quickly spotting the rest of the group.

"Hey, here she comes" Shouted Munch lifting his glass in salute.

"Those earrings new? They look suspiciously like a certain defence attorney's balls."

She laughed at Munch's antics, "I hope they serve as a warning to anybody else that tries to fuck up my cases."

She took off her coat, passing it to Fin to put on the pile gathering at the back of the booth.

"I'm off to the bar, anyone want anything?"

Receiving a negative from everyone he headed towards the bar, it wasn't long before she felt someone come up close beside her. She knew it was Olivia. She would recognise the feel of her anywhere. Olivia put her arm loosely around her waist. Alex turned and arched her eyebrow.

"You were right."

Alex smiled "I usually am, what was I right about this time?"

Olivia snorted a laugh at Alex's arrogance.

"I didn't know it was hurting you that much, and I don't know why but I guess I just wasn't ready, but I think I am now."

"Ready for what?"

"To be open about us. No more hiding"

Alex smiled and leaned towards Olivia, she was about to say something when they were interrupted by the bartender. They promptly ordered their drinks and the bartender scurried off.

"How open?" Alex asked, tilting her head to indicate the group behind them.

Olivia smiled and leaned her head to kiss Alex. Alex responded with fervour and moved her hand to the back of Olivia's neck, holding her in place. Olivia forced herself to not think about the fact that everyone was probably staring at them and to concentrate on Alex's soft lips which she gladly lost herself in.

They were interrupted once more by the bartender returning with their drinks and not so subtly clearing his throat. They broke apart a little sheepishly and paid him.

"Open enough for you?"

Alex just smiled and nodded. They took their drinks over to the table, where they could see they rest of the group trying to carry on with their conversation and ignore what they just saw. Olivia caught Fin's eye and he winked at her, and as Alex sat down Cragen patted her on the back; each in their own way letting them know that it was okay, they were happy for them.

Olivia sat down next to Alex and put her arm loosely round her shoulders, joining in with the conversation. Alex was trying hard to not grin like at an idiot at Olivia's displays of affection. She was so very glad that she had told Olivia and that she had listened. Then she too joined in the rowdy conversation amongst their friends.


End file.
